In a conventional playback/recording apparatus, for example, copy-inhibited contents which are digital-recorded on a storage medium are hand Led such that copyright information thereof is detected, and only playback of the contents is carried out.
Furthermore, in the conventional playback/recording apparatus, with respect to copy-inhibited contents which are analog-recorded on a video cassette tape, even when a reproduced signal thereof is recorded on another video cassette tape, a reproduced image thereof is degraded in image quality by the effect of an analog protection system, which results in an image the viewer cannot view normally, whereby illegal copying is avoided.
For example, Japanese Published Patent Application No. Hei.9-130766 proposes methods of transferring and recording television signals and a recording apparatus, which will be described as a specific example of a prior art, with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a signal format for transferring copy generation restriction information.
In the signal format, CGMS information is superimposed by utilizing a format of an extended data service (XDS) signal which is standardized in relation to a closed caption signal that is superimposed on the 21st line in a vertical blanking period of an analog television signal. The XDS signal is composed of a clock run-in period, a start bit, and a digital signal of 16 bits, and the digital signal is divided into two bytes for characters 1 and 2. The information based on the standard of the XDS signal and the CGMS information can be distinguished from each other by the start bit, and the character 1 and/or the character 2, whereby the recording apparatus identifies the CGMS information on the 21st line, and performs copy generation restriction.
As described above, with respect to copying of contents, the conventional playback/recording apparatus performs copying when the contents are not copyinhibited, and performs only playback when the contents are copy-inhibited. Further, it performs copy generation restriction on the basis of the copy generation restriction information.
Accordingly, for example, the viewer cannot transfer copy-inhibited contents recorded on an analog tape, to a digital tape for editing.
That is, an apparatus which is able to appropriately perform transfer of contents protected by copyright, has not yet been developed.